So today my car battery died, couldn't even be revived with a jump. I was able to walk to an auto store to get tools and a new battery (damn that mfer was heavier than I expected). I had never had to replace my own car battery before.
I screwed the fastener nuts the wrong way for like 5 minutes, cut my hand, and ultimately accidentally crossed the positive and negative terminals with a wrench that exploded in sparks. I don't even know what stopped me from being electrocuted but I didn't feel a thing.
While I'm happy I was able to take care of it myself and will be able to in the future, I also feel like such a dunce for not knowing wtf I was doing and almost shocking myself
One time while screwing a battery into a jeep, I started hearing a strange noise/feeling an itch in my hand. It took my like an entire minute to realize that I was touching both battery terminals and what I was feeling was electrocution.
Fortunately, 12 VDC isn’t enough to do any lasting damage and certainly can’t kill you.
(Yes, I know “it’s the current that kills you,” but do the P=IR on average human body resistance and deadly current and you’ll find ~30 VDC is the minimum voltage across the heart that can kill an adult)
When I first started working with electrics, they taught me to keep one hand in my pocket when I'm screwing something into a battery or other electric terminal. It's a good reflex to develop because it prevents you from mindlessly touching something with your off hand that completes a circuit.
We called it the “One Hand Rule, no not that one”
That and removing all watches, rings, and necklaces are the most important precautions when working with live electricity. But, it’s always best to not work on live electricity wherever possible
"Volts jolt, but mills kill"
I was once shocked when I touched a spark plug wire on a snowmobile, even though it was isolated and I was wearing thick gloves.